Friday, October 28, 2016

True and Clear Presence in the Storm

*"Everything is possible for him who believes"(Mark 9: 23).

• "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father"(John 14: 12).

•"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer"(Matthew 21: 22).

Whipped by the winds and waves, the very last thing many of us can do in our darkness and despair is to save ourselves.

Weary and without strength, we simply cannot hoist ourselves to safety.

But in the swirling chaos of our thoughts and fears, when we can no longer stay afloat, some of us are grasped by fellow sojourn ears who have somehow made it to solid ground.

When passengers fled the doomed Titanic in lifeboats, some were able to reach across the icy waters and throw a lifeline to other passengers who were desperate and foundering.

Working together, they would pull a victim into the safety of the boat, provide a blanket or simply the heat of their own bodies.

Once rescued, one could help to rescue another.

In this manner, many have received calm in the storms that threaten to overwhelm.

In the faces of friends, or even strangers, they have recognized the palpable presence of God.

Someone has lent a listening ear, has reached out with arms of love, bearing God's own presence to one in need.

A family coming home from the hospital following a child's surgery finds a feast set out on their dining room table and a freezer full of prepared meals.

A couple facing unemployment, returning home from a day of job searching, finds a generous gift card to the local grocery store tucked into their mailbox.

A struggling single mom, raising a teenage son who lives to play basketball, learns that her son has been awarded a full scholarship to summer basketball camp by a mysterious benefactor.

When circumstances threaten to undo, others provide tangible signs of God's presence in the midst of the storm.

Sometimes the rescuer will be wearing a cross on a chain around her neck.

Sometimes he will be carrying a Bible.

Other times, God sends helpers with no identifying sign other than compassion, and sometimes dressed in the most unusual garb.

We may not recognize the one here on earth  who by the direction and grace of God delivers us safely out of the storm, but we can be assured that help will come IF we ask for it IN FAITH and expect it - and it will come at times from the most unexpected of channels."

Remember you are never Alone and the tide always turns our way - by the Grace and Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Give thanks and praise as His Mercy endures forever! :)

Stay Strong!

Happy Weekend!

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